DESCRIPTION: Discovered in 964 by Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi of Persia, and at a distance of 2.5 million light years, M31 is the largest galaxy in the local group of galaxies which also includes the Milky Way galaxy and the Triangulum galaxy. This is a naked eye object (in a totally dark site). In approxitaly 4.5 billion years, the Andromada Galaxy and the Milky Way will collide, merging to form a giant elliptical galaxy, or a large disc galaxy. By this time our Sun will have exhusted all of its Hydrogen and will begin to expand which will vaporize our Earth, ending all life in our solor system.
LOCATION: Raleigh, North Carolina
DATE: 09/05/18 10:47PM
SCOPE: William Optics 5.2" FLT132 f/7
CAMERA: SBIG SFT-8300M CCD
EXPOSURE: 6x600sL, 6x600sR, 6x600sG, 6x600sB, 4 hour total exposure.NOTES: This was the first time I really had the opportunity to image M31 with a dedicated CCD camera, I was so excited using a new refractor and camera, I didn't take much time to frame this object, so in future I hope to shoot this again and try and capture more if it with the equipment I have. Also located in this image are satellite galaxies M32(left of center) and M110(bottom right)